The Secret Olivia Told Me

Author: N. Joy
Illustrator: Nancy Devard
Year: 2007
Publisher: Just Us Books Inc.
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Beginning Reader (ages 4-8)

Awards: 2008 ALA Coretta Scott King Award

Genre: Picture Book/Realistic Fiction/Christian Fiction
Location: A schoolyard in urban America
Time Period: Present Day (2007)

Plot: When Olivia tells her best friend a secret, the secret gets spread around the schoolyard, getting bigger and stranger with each telling. SPOILER! Olivia's friend must confess that she told the secret in order to keep their friendship intact.

Comments: Joy, a popular urban Christian fiction writer, addresses the issue of being trustworthy with a simple, catchy rhyme that children should enjoy. However, it is the pictures that are the most interesting part of this book. Most of the pictures are black and white, showing silhouettes of each child. The secret is depicted in the form of a bright red balloon, with a string trailing from the mouth of the child who told it. As the secret is spread, the balloon gets bigger and bigger. The balloon pops when Olivia's friend confesses that she told the secret.

Another interesting part of this book was the list of questions provided at the end of the book. The questions are designed to help parents open up a discussion with their children as to why it is wrong to tell secrets about other people. This could be a heavy topic for some parents and children, but it may be useful for those parents who are having trouble explaining to their children why one should not tell lies and secrets.

Themes: Lies, Friendship, Urban Christian Fiction

Red Flags: None

Multicultural Elements: The book includes children of many races, but most of the children are African-American.